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PubMed1985

Hypotheses on mnemonic information processing by the brain.

From a neuropsychological point of view, hypotheses are offered on the possible action of the brain in the processing of mnemonic information for long-term storage (or for retrieval of long-term stored information). It is argued that strict relations between damage of circumscribed brain structures and amnesia, as they have been suggested in recent case reports, are questionable for several reasons: Firstly, the involved regions differ between cases; secondly, there is some counter-evidence from other cases in which similar neuronal damage failed to result in lasting amnesic disturbances; thirdly, it is hypothesized that even from circumscribed brain damage it is not justifiable to conclude that the lesioned structure is solely or principally responsible for the observed mnemonic changes, as the brain acts in an integrative way, that is, on the basis of a wide-spread network of neuronal information processing. On the basis of these and related arguments, hypotheses and models on mnemonic information processing in the intact and in the damaged brain are derived. With these hypotheses even the frequent observation of interindividual differences in mnemonic information processing finds a possible explanation which is in conformity to known anatomical circuits and connections and to principles of neuronal coding.

Amnesia↗

PubMed2005

A framework for investigating thalamocortical activity in multistage information processing.

A framework for investigating information processing in cortico-thalamocortical (cortico-TC) networks is presented, that in part can be used to model and interpret individual changes in electroencephalographic spectra and event-related potentials such as those from the Brain Resource International Database. Scientific work covering neurophysiology, TC firing modes, and TC models are explored in the framework to explain how the brain might process complex information in a multistage process. It is proposed that the thalamus and the cortico-TC system have unique ionic properties and transmission delays (in humans), which are suited to the function of taking "snapshots" or samples of complex environmental stimuli, rather than continuous data streams. This leads to careful and sequential coordination of stimulus and response processes, and increases the probability of information transfer and the resulting information complexity in higher cortical regions. Given the scope of this framework, the multidimensional and standardized Brain Resource International Database provides a pertinent set of measures for both testing hypotheses generated from the model, and for fitting the model to experimental data to investigate mechanisms underlying information processing.

Alpha Rhythm↗

PubMed1983

Hemispheric differences in preferred modes of information processing and the aging process.

The notion of "preferred modes of information processing" as indexed by direction of lateral eye movements during information processing, and the finding of significant declines in "fluid" as compared to "crystallized" intelligence as a function of the aging process, are related in this paper. Results suggest differential declines in information processing abilities as a function of preferred mode of information processing in older subjects. Old right movers perform significantly better than old left movers on tasks tapping both fluid and crystallized intelligence. Old left movers perform significantly more poorly on these tasks when compared to young left movers, while no differences between young and old right movers obtain. The results suggest that old persons may be more at the mercy of their preferred mode of information processing than young subjects and that those who prefer to process information in their right hemisphere are more detrimentally affected by this preference.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Cortical areas with enhanced activation during object-centred spatial information processing. A PET study.

The phenomenon of object-centred unilateral neglect suggests that some neural networks process spatial information relative to reference objects. To examine object-centred information processing, we measured regional cerebral blood flow in 11 normal subjects with PET. During each PET scan, a subject viewed a sample stimulus followed by a cue on a video screen. The sample consisted of two polygons, termed 'objects', each located in a corner of the screen. A small target spot appeared in a corner of each polygon. There were two tasks: the visuomotor task and the matching-to-sample task. In the visuomotor task, the subject moved a joystick in a direction indicated by either the location of the target spot inside the object (if object-centred coordinates were operative) or the location of the object relative to the video screen (if screen-centred coordinates were operative). In the matching-to-sample task, the subject moved the joystick to report whether the relevant spatial information (object- or screen-centred) in the cue matched the sample. In both the visuomotor and the matching-to-sample task, use of object-centred (versus screen- or viewer-centred) information caused augmented activation in the inferior occipitotemporal cortex, bilaterally, in the left superior occipital gyrus, and in both the thalamus and the brainstem. In addition, in the visuomotor task such activation occurred in the right posterior parietal cortex and in the left ventral premotor, dorsolateral prefrontal and anterior supplementary motor areas. These findings suggest the involvement of the occipitotemporal cortex and a broad frontoparietal network when, as in the visuomotor task, object-centred information guides movement. When the same data underlie declarative reports, as in the matching-to-sample task, the occipitotemporal cortex remains engaged but the frontoparietal network diminishes in importance.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Social information-processing skills training to promote social competence and prevent aggressive behavior in the third grades.

This article describes a school-based study designed to promote social competence and reduce aggressive behavior by strengthening children's skills in processing social information and regulating emotions. Three successive cohorts of 3rd graders (N = 548) from 2 schools participated. In 2000-2001, children received a routine health curriculum; in 2001-2002, students received the Making Choices: Social Problem Solving Skills for Children (MC) program; and in 2002-2003, children received MC supplemented with teacher and parent activities. Compared with children in the routine condition, children in both MC conditions were rated lower on posttest social and overt aggression and higher on social competence. Moreover, they scored significantly higher on an information-processing skills posttest. The findings suggest that prevention programs can strengthen social- emotional skills and produce changes in aggressive behavior.

Aggression↗

PubMed1985

[EEG correlates of information processing in acute and remittent schizophrenic patients].

Studies of the EEG correlates of information processing in normals indicate that different cognitive processing of information is correlated with different functional brain states. Studies in experimental psychology have demonstrated a communication and performance deficit in schizophrenics which indicates a deviation in one or more stages of information processing. Accordingly it can be hypothesized that the functional brain states as manifested in the EEG during information processing in schizophrenics are different from these states in normals or former schizophrenics. The paper tested this hypothesis in drug-free acute and former schizophrenics, neurotics and normals. The results indicate 1) that acute schizophrenics show a deviant electrical brain state during information processing; 2) former schizophrenics in a good clinical remission have electrical brain states during information processing which in some aspects are normalised, and in other aspects still differ from these states in normals and neurotics. The importance of these physiological findings for the assessment of the efficacy of the biological and psychological treatments in schizophrenia is discussed.

Alpha Rhythm↗

PubMed1993

Information processing and attention dysfunctions in schizophrenia.

Abnormalities of information processing have played a central role in understanding schizophrenia since the time of Kraepelin and Bleuler. Clearly, schizophrenia spectrum patients have profound problems focusing attention on salient cues and overcoming the disrupting effects of distracting stimuli. Theoretically, such patients are rendered vulnerable to stimulus inundation, cognitive fragmentation, and thought disorder induced by this inability to adequately process self-generated cognitive cues and stimuli from the complex world that surrounds us. Adding to the strength of such theories, investigators have made considerable progress in clarifying the functional significance and neurobiological basis of information-processing/attentional dysfunctions. This article focuses on our understanding of information-processing/attentional dysfunctions in schizophrenia. The relevant material will be presented in four parts: (1) an overview; (2) a review of specific, conceptual issues in information-processing research of the group of schizophrenias, including the roles of antipsychotic medications and generalized versus specific deficits; (3) a review of 10 common techniques used to tap the information processing and attention dysfunctions of schizophrenia patients; recent advances and novel applications of these techniques in "boundary" populations such as high-risk children and schizotypal patients are discussed and psychopharmacological probes, animal models, and basic strategies are also reviewed; and (4) an integration and suggestions for future directions in information-processing/attention research in schizophrenia. Overall, information-processing research provides an important viewpoint from which we can understand the group of schizophrenias.

Attention↗

PubMed2001

Information processing in dendrites II. Information theoretic complexity.

In the companion paper, we established a rationale for exploring the general principles of dendritic processing using a class of Boolean functions-the Multi-Cube Units (MCUs). Here, we use this approach to further characterise dendritic processing using ideas from information theory and studies in complexity. The starting point is a novel decomposition of a Boolean function's total mutual information (between input variables and the output). Each component of the decomposition is a mutual information measure with respect to a single input, conditioned on a subset of the remaining inputs. We call this decomposition the information spectrum and conceive of it as a re-representation of the function in the information domain. Furthermore, the information spectrum of a Boolean function may be assigned a complexity value using the approximate entropy introduced by Pincus (Pincus, S. M. (1991). Approximate entropy as a measure of system complexity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 88, 2297-2301). Using Monte Carlo methods, we provide evidence that the information spectral complexity of MCUs is larger than that of any other class of Boolean function. We explain this phenomenon in terms of information flow through the 2-stage MCU architecture. Under our modelling assumptions, the implication for biological neural processing is that dendrites implement functions that have maximal information spectral complexity with respect to the class of multivariate functions from which they are drawn.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Effects of anxiety on attentional allocation and task performance: an information processing analysis.

An information processing signal detection methodology was employed to examine attentional allocation and its correlates in both normal comparison (NC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) participants. In particular, the impact of neutral distractor and negative feedback cues on performance of an attention vigilance task was investigated. Individuals with GAD (N = 15) evidenced impaired performance on an attention vigilance task relative to NC participants (N = 15) when neutral distractor cues were presented. Contrary to prediction, no group differences in performance were detected under conditions in which participants were presented negative feedback cues they were told were relevant to their performance. Instead, GAD participants exhibited improvement during the experimental task such that their performance was equivalent to NC participants. Across trials, the clinically anxious group endorsed significantly higher levels of worry and negative affectivity; however, they failed to respond with concomitant physical arousal (e.g. increased muscle tension). These data are discussed within the context of Eysenck and Calvo's (1992, Cognition and Emotion, 6, 409-434) processing efficiency theory. Additionally, the results of this investigation provide support for Barlow's (1988, Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic) conceptualization of anxiety as requiring the interaction of cognitive schema and physiological arousal.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Statistical properties of information processing in neuronal networks.

Information processing and coding were analysed in dissociated hippocampal cultures, grown on multielectrode arrays. Multisite stimulation was used to activate different neurons and pathways of the network. The neural activity was binned into firing rates and the variability of the firing of individual neurons and of the whole population was analysed. In individual neurons, the timing of the first action potential (AP) was rather precise from trial to trial, whereas the timing of later APs was much more variable. Pooling APs in an ensemble of neurons reduced the variability of the response and allowed stimuli varying in intensity to be distinguished reliably in a single trial. A similar decrease of variability was observed pooling the first evoked APs in an ensemble of neurons. The size of the neuronal pool (approximately 50-100 neurons) and the time bin (approximately 20 ms) necessary to provide reproducible responses are remarkably similar to those obtained in in vivo preparations and in small nervous systems. Blockage of excitatory synaptic pathways mediated by NMDA receptors improved the mutual information between the evoked response and stimulus properties. When inhibitory GABAergic pathways were blocked by bicuculline the opposite effect was obtained. These results show how ensemble averages and an appropriate balance between inhibition and excitation allow neuronal networks to process information in a fast and reliable way.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2004

Information processing limitations as revealed by temporal discrimination.

Information processing limit is a fundamental issue in cognitive psychology. One particular way of studying it is to adopt a temporal span perspective. In this experiment, Weber fractions based on thresholds for duration discrimination are used for adopting this perspective. The results showed that, contrary to the constant predicted by Weber's law, the Weber fraction is larger at 2 than at .2 s. This increase is observed in conditions where inter-trial intervals and cognitive load are manipulated, and is argued to be due to the fact that 2 s is beyond a temporal span limit for processing information.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2002

Prospects for single-molecule information-processing devices for the next paradigm.

Present information technologies use semiconductor devices and magnetic/optical disks; however, they are all foreseen to face fundamental limitations within a decade. Therefore, superceding devices are required for the next paradigm of high-performance information technologies. The paper first describes architectures suitable for single-molecule information processing, in which it is claimed that the performance of information processing is higher if speed and element number product is larger in almost all known architectures. Thus, single-molecule information-processing devices should be the most appropriate approach for the next paradigm. Then, prospects for single-molecule devices suitable for future information-processing technologies are described. Four possible milestones for realizing the Peta/Exa-floating operations per second (FLOPS) personal molecular supercomputer are proposed. Current status and necessary technologies of the first milestone are described, and necessary technologies for the next three milestones are also discussed.

Computers↗

PubMed1993

Information processing and gene expression.

The process by which information is transferred from DNA to RNA to protein accommodates the further editing and altering of information, particularly in messenger RNA. From one gene, a cell may derive different protein products by altering the information content of mRNA to accommodate the very specialized functions of the cell. Information processing in the form of posttranscriptional RNA processing allows for incredible complexity and differentiation of tissue and tissue function. Most importantly, the posttranscriptional processing of mRNA does not alter the indelible information stored in the DNA which must be maintained and passed on from one generation to the next. Rather, the alteration of information occurs during the transient flow of information from DNA to RNA at the level of messenger RNA. Developmental and differentiation processes are dependent on this information processing which endows the cell with another level of control in gene expression.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

[Gaze behavior in infancy as an indicator of information processing].

Many studies on perceptual development in infancy use visual attention behaviour as an indicator of intellectual capacities. Decrement of attention with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus (habituation) and recovery of attention to a novel stimulus (dishabituation) are interpreted as reflecting the infant's processing of stimulus information. This information processing interpretation as well as the main empirical habituation-dishabituation procedures are explained. Furthermore, sensory adaptation arguments for habituation and dishabituation are discussed and refuted. Following this critical discussion, empirical evidence for the information processing point of view is given. In this context, investigations are mentioned which indicate substantial correlations between early habituation and dishabituation and later intelligence. These studies support a continuity perspective of mental development from infancy.

Attention↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Aggression and moral development: integrating social information processing and moral domain models.

Social information processing and moral domain theories have developed in relative isolation from each other despite their common focus on intentional harm and victimization, and mutual emphasis on social cognitive processes in explaining aggressive, morally relevant behaviors. This article presents a selective summary of these literatures with the goal of showing how they can be integrated into a single, coherent model. An essential aspect of this integration is Crick and Dodge's (1994) distinction between latent mental structures and online processing. It is argued that moral domain theory is relevant for describing underlying mental structures regarding the nature and boundaries of what is moral, whereas the social information processing model describes the online information processing that affects application of moral structures during peer interactions.

Affect↗

PubMed2004

Sensory gating deficits during the mid-latency phase of information processing in medicated schizophrenia patients.

Sensory gating during preattentive phases of information processing has been extensively examined. Sensory gating processes that occur during subsequent phases of information processing have not been fully examined. The relationship between P50 sensory gating and schizophrenia symptoms remains underspecified and the clinical correlates of N100 and P200 gating are yet to be examined. Sensory gating indices derived from the mid-latency auditory evoked responses during preattentive (P50) and attentive (N100, P200) phases of information processing were collected from schizophrenia patients who were stable and mainly being treated with atypical antipsychotic medications (n=23) and age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects (n=23). Schizophrenia patients had demonstrable habituation or sensory gating difficulties throughout the mid-latency range of information processing. Moreover, we found no correlations between P50-derived sensory gating indices and the amplitude or latency of the more attention-related P300 evoked response. A number of N100 and P200 gating measures correlated with P300 variables. Finally, we found no correlations between sensory gating indices and schizophrenia symptoms clusters. These results suggest that sensory gating is a pervasive abnormality in schizophrenia patients that is not limited to the preattentive phase of information processing. Furthermore, the data suggest that N100 and P200 gating indices may influence subsequent information processing.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Assessment of information processing in children with functional articulation disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the information processing skills in children who have functional articulation disorder by using a cognitive-linguistic test battery. MATERIAL-METHODS: Thirty-three children with functional articulation disorder were enrolled in this study. They ranged in age from 6 to 10 years. A control group without articulation disorders was composed of 160 children with similar properties. In the first stage of this study, both groups were administered the Ross Information Processing Assessment Test-Primary. In this test, the scores obtained from eight subtests; namely immediate memory, recent memory, recall of general information, spatial orientation, temporal orientation, organization, problem solving and abstract reasoning, was calculated for both groups. The scores of the eight subtests are combined to form the four composites. These composites are memory quotient, orientation quotient, thinking and reasoning quotient and information processing quotient. Information processing quotient is the best and the most comprehensive estimate of a child's overall information processing ability. In the second stage of the study the articulation-disordered group was divided into two subgroups according the number of the mistakes, which was done at the level of the phoneme. The scores obtained from both subgroups were compared with the scores of the control group. RESULTS: The overall statistical analysis of the scores revealed that; the study group had significantly lower scores than the control group from memory quotient, thinking and reasoning quotient and information processing quotient. When compared to control group, the subgroup who cannot pronounce one phoneme had similar scores from all four composites. Moreover, the children who cannot pronounce multiple phonemes had significantly lower scores from memory quotient, thinking and reasoning quotient and information processing quotient. The results obtained from this study seem to be suggesting that information processing skills of children with functional articulation disorder are significantly low as compared to normal children. CONCLUSIONS: These results are revealing that the information processing skills of children with functional articulation disorder should be investigated in a detailed manner. According to the results obtained from this investigation these children should be put on deficit oriented education programs in addition to articulation therapy.

Articulation Disorders↗

PubMed2001

EEG frequency and phase coupling during human information processing.

Neuronal activity during information processing is represented by oscillations within local or widespread neuronal networks. These oscillations may be recorded by the EEG (electroencephalogram). The oscillatory interaction between neuronal ensembles may be at one single frequency or at different frequencies due to non-linear coupling. The investigation of momentary coherence and phase enables the examination of synchronized oscillatory network activity during fast-changing cognitive processes. On this basis information transfer from occipital areas towards frontal areas could be described during processing of visual presented words. Non-linear phase coupling between oscillations with different frequencies during memory processing was detected by means of cross-bicoherence.

Adult↗